romeo and juliet paragraph assignment

A Summary and Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Although it was first performed in the 1590s, the first documented performance of Romeo and Juliet is from 1662. The diarist Samuel Pepys was in the audience, and recorded that he ‘saw “Romeo and Juliet,” the first time it was ever acted; but it is a play of itself the worst that ever I heard in my life, and the worst acted that ever I saw these people do.’

Despite Pepys’ dislike, the play is one of Shakespeare’s best-loved and most famous, and the story of Romeo and Juliet is well known. However, the play has become so embedded in the popular psyche that Shakespeare’s considerably more complex play has been reduced to a few key aspects: ‘star-cross’d lovers’, a teenage love story, and the suicide of the two protagonists.

In the summary and analysis that follow, we realise that Romeo and Juliet is much more than a tragic love story.

Romeo and Juliet : brief summary

After the Prologue has set the scene – we have two feuding households, Montagues and Capulets, in the city-state of Verona; and young Romeo is a Montague while Juliet, with whom Romeo is destined to fall in love, is from the Capulet family, sworn enemies of the Montagues – the play proper begins with servants of the two feuding households taunting each other in the street.

When Benvolio, a member of house Montague, arrives and clashes with Tybalt of house Capulet, a scuffle breaks out, and it is only when Capulet himself and his wife, Lady Capulet, appear that the fighting stops. Old Montague and his wife then show up, and the Prince of Verona, Escalus, arrives and chastises the people for fighting. Everyone leaves except Old Montague, his wife, and Benvolio, Montague’s nephew. Benvolio tells them that Romeo has locked himself away, but he doesn’t know why.

Romeo appears and Benvolio asks his cousin what is wrong, and Romeo starts speaking in paradoxes, a sure sign that he’s in love. He claims he loves Rosaline, but will not return any man’s love. A servant appears with a note, and Romeo and Benvolio learn that the Capulets are holding a masked ball.

Benvolio tells Romeo he should attend, even though he is a Montague, as he will find more beautiful women than Rosaline to fall in love with. Meanwhile, Lady Capulet asks her daughter Juliet whether she has given any thought to marriage, and tells Juliet that a man named Paris would make an excellent husband for her.

Romeo attends the Capulets’ masked ball, with his friend Mercutio. Mercutio tells Romeo about a fairy named Queen Mab who enters young men’s minds as they dream, and makes them dream of love and romance. At the masked ball, Romeo spies Juliet and instantly falls in love with her; she also falls for him.

They kiss, but then Tybalt, Juliet’s kinsman, spots Romeo and recognising him as a Montague, plans to confront him. Old Capulet tells him not to do so, and Tybalt reluctantly agrees. When Juliet enquires after who Romeo is, she is distraught to learn that he is a Montague and thus a member of the family that is her family’s sworn enemies.

Romeo breaks into the gardens of Juliet’s parents’ house and speaks to her at her bedroom window. The two of them pledge their love for each other, and arrange to be secretly married the following night. Romeo goes to see a churchman, Friar Laurence, who agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet.

After the wedding, the feud between the two families becomes violent again: Tybalt kills Mercutio in a fight, and Romeo kills Tybalt in retaliation. The Prince banishes Romeo from Verona for his crime.

Juliet is told by her father that she will marry Paris, so Juliet goes to seek Friar Laurence’s help in getting out of it. He tells her to take a sleeping potion which will make her appear to be dead for two nights; she will be laid to rest in the family vault, and Romeo (who will be informed of the plan) can secretly come to her there.

However, although that part of the plan goes fine, the message to Romeo doesn’t arrive; instead, he hears that Juliet has actually died. He secretly visits her at the family vault, but his grieving is interrupted by the arrival of Paris, who is there to lay flowers. The two of them fight, and Romeo kills him.

Convinced that Juliet is really dead, Romeo drinks poison in order to join Juliet in death. Juliet wakes from her slumber induced by the sleeping draught to find Romeo dead at her side. She stabs herself.

The play ends with Friar Laurence telling the story to the two feuding families. The Prince tells them to put their rivalry behind them and live in peace.

Romeo and Juliet : analysis

How should we analyse Romeo and Juliet , one of Shakespeare’s most famous and frequently studied, performed, and adapted plays? Is Romeo and Juliet the great love story that it’s often interpreted as, and what does it say about the play – if it is a celebration of young love – that it ends with the deaths of both romantic leads?

It’s worth bearing in mind that Romeo and Juliet do not kill themselves specifically because they are forbidden to be together, but rather because a chain of events (of which their families’ ongoing feud with each other is but one) and a message that never arrives lead to a misunderstanding which results in their suicides.

Romeo and Juliet is often read as both a tragedy and a great celebration of romantic love, but it clearly throws out some difficult questions about the nature of love, questions which are rendered even more pressing when we consider the headlong nature of the play’s action and the fact that Romeo and Juliet meet, marry, and die all within the space of a few days.

Below, we offer some notes towards an analysis of this classic Shakespeare play and explore some of the play’s most salient themes.

It’s worth starting with a consideration of just what Shakespeare did with his source material. Interestingly, two families known as the Montagues and Capulets appear to have actually existed in medieval Italy: the first reference to ‘Montagues and Capulets’ is, curiously, in the poetry of Dante (1265-1321), not Shakespeare.

In Dante’s early fourteenth-century epic poem, the Divine Comedy , he makes reference to two warring Italian families: ‘Come and see, you who are negligent, / Montagues and Capulets, Monaldi and Filippeschi / One lot already grieving, the other in fear’ ( Purgatorio , canto VI). Precisely why the families are in a feud with one another is never revealed in Shakespeare’s play, so we are encouraged to take this at face value.

The play’s most famous line references the feud between the two families, which means Romeo and Juliet cannot be together. And the line, when we stop and consider it, is more than a little baffling. The line is spoken by Juliet: ‘Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’ Of course, ‘wherefore’ doesn’t mean ‘where’ – it means ‘why’.

But that doesn’t exactly clear up the whys and the wherefores. The question still doesn’t appear to make any sense: Romeo’s problem isn’t his first name, but his family name, Montague. Surely, since she fancies him, Juliet is quite pleased with ‘Romeo’ as he is – it’s his family that are the problem. Solutions have been proposed to this conundrum , but none is completely satisfying.

There are a number of notable things Shakespeare did with his source material. The Italian story ‘Mariotto and Gianozza’, printed in 1476, contained many of the plot elements of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet . Shakespeare’s source for the play’s story was Arthur Brooke’s The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562), an English verse translation of this Italian tale.

The moral of Brooke’s tale is that young love ends in disaster for their elders, and is best reined in; Shakespeare changed that. In Romeo and Juliet , the headlong passion and excitement of young love is celebrated, even though confusion leads to the deaths of the young lovers. But through their deaths, and the example their love set for their parents, the two families vow to be reconciled to each other.

Shakespeare also makes Juliet a thirteen-year-old girl in his play, which is odd for a number of reasons. We know that Romeo and Juliet is about young love – the ‘pair of star-cross’d lovers’, who belong to rival families in Verona – but what is odd about Shakespeare’s play is how young he makes Juliet.

In Brooke’s verse rendition of the story, Juliet is sixteen. But when Shakespeare dramatised the story, he made Juliet several years younger, with Romeo’s age unspecified. As Lady Capulet reveals, Juliet is ‘not [yet] fourteen’, and this point is made to us several times, as if Shakespeare wishes to draw attention to it and make sure we don’t forget it.

This makes sense in so far as Juliet represents young love, but what makes it unsettling – particularly for modern audiences – is the fact that this makes Juliet a girl of thirteen when she enjoys her night of wedded bliss with Romeo. As John Sutherland puts it in his (and Cedric Watts’) engaging Oxford World’s Classics: Henry V, War Criminal?: and Other Shakespeare Puzzles , ‘In a contemporary court of law [Romeo] would receive a longer sentence for what he does to Juliet than for what he does to Tybalt.’

There appears to be no satisfactory answer to this question, but one possible explanation lies in one of the play’s recurring themes: bawdiness and sexual familiarity. Perhaps surprisingly given the youthfulness of its tragic heroine, Romeo and Juliet is shot through with bawdy jokes, double entendres, and allusions to sex, made by a number of the characters.

These references to physical love serve to make Juliet’s innocence, and subsequent passionate romance with Romeo, even more noticeable: the journey both Romeo and Juliet undertake is one from innocence (Romeo pointlessly and naively pursuing Rosaline; Juliet unversed in the ways of love) to experience.

In the last analysis, Romeo and Juliet is a classic depiction of forbidden love, but it is also far more sexually aware, more ‘adult’, than many people realise.

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4 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet”

Modern reading of the play’s opening dialogue among the brawlers fails to parse the ribaldry. Sex scares the bejeepers out of us. Why? Confer “R&J.”

It’s all that damn padre’s fault!

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Love in Romeo and Juliet

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Romeo and Juliet

By william shakespeare, romeo and juliet summary and analysis of act 2, act two, introduction.

The Chorus explains that Romeo has traded his old desire for a new affection, and that Juliet has also fallen in love. Though their secret romance puts Romeo and Juliet at risk, their passion drives them to meet, regardless of the danger.

Act Two, Scene One

Out in the street, Romeo escapes from Mercutio and Benvolio . Mercutio calls to him, using lots of obscene wordplay. Benvolio finally gets tired of searching for Romeo, and they leave.

(Please note that some editions of Romeo and Juliet end Scene One here to begin a new one. Others, including the Norton Shakespeare, which this note is based on, continue the scene as follows.)

Meanwhile, Romeo has succeeded in leaping over the Capulets' garden wall and is hiding beneath Juliet's balcony. He wants to determine whether her attraction is equal to his own. She soon appears and delivers her famous soliloquy, asking "Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" (2.1.75). She wishes that Romeo’s name were different, so that they would not be enemies. Romeo overhears her speech, which confirms his own feelings. He interrupts Juliet to confess his own love.

Juliet warns Romeo to speak truthfully, since she has fallen in love with him and does not want to be hurt. Romeo swears his feelings are genuine, and Juliet laments the fact that she cannot fall in love with him again. The Nurse calls to Juliet, who disappears momentarily. She comes back out and insists that if Romeo truly loves her, he should propose marriage and plan a meeting place for them. The Nurse calls Juliet a second time, and she exits. Romeo is about to leave when his love emerges yet a third time, and calls him back for some final words of parting.

Act Two, Scene Two

At the chapel, Friar Laurence is collecting herbs. Romeo arrives and confesses his new love for Juliet. He asks the Friar to marry them. Though the Friar is surprised that Romeo has forgotten Rosaline so quickly, he is nonetheless delighted, because Romeo and Juliet's union presents an opportunity to quell the raging feud between the Montagues and Capulets.

Act Two, Scene Three

Out in the street the next day, Benvolio tells Mercutio that Romeo has not yet returned home. He also reveals that Tybalt has sent Romeo a threatening message. When Romeo joins them, Mercutio mocks him, but Romeo matches his wit. Impressed, Mercutio notes,"Now art thou sociable, now art thou Romeo" (2.3.77).

Juliet’s Nurse and Peter arrive and ask to speak with Romeo. Mercutio makes sexual jokes about the Nurse, but eventually exits with Benvolio. The Nurse explains that Juliet will meet Romeo and marry him. Romeo proposes they meet that afternoon at Friar Laurence’s chapel.

Act Two, Scene Four

Back in the Capulet orchard, Juliet eagerly awaits news from the Nurse. When the Nurse eventually arrives, she comically refuses to give Juliet any information about Romeo until she has received a back rub. Finally, the Nurse tells Juliet about the plan for her to meet Romeo at Friar Laurence’s chapel.

Act Two, Scene Five

At the chapel, Romeo and Friar Laurence await Juliet’s arrival. The Friar cautions Romeo to "love moderately" (2.5.9). Juliet soon appears, and Friar Laurence brings them into the church to be married.

Act 2 is more focused than Act 1, in that it mostly serves to establish the marriage which will become the root of the play's dramatic conflict. However, within the the streamlined plot, Shakespeare explores the complications of love. The theme of love is central to Act 2 of Romeo and Juliet . Romeo and Juliet fall in love instantly, and marry one day later, sealing their future. The balcony scene is crucial to understanding their relationship because it allows Romeo and Juliet to test their initial passion and gain the courage to move forward with a marriage plan.

The love that Romeo and Juliet share is the opposite of the selfish love that Shakespeare references in the opening acts of the play. Shakespeare compares Juliet to the sun, and she is one of the most generous characters in the play. She reveals her selflessness when she declares, "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, / My love as deep. The more I give thee / The more I have, for both are infinite" (2.1.175-177). Rosaline, on the other hand, prefers to keep her beauty to herself. Shakespeare heightens this contrast when Romeo describes Rosaline as a Diana (the goddess of the moon) and tells Juliet, "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon" (2.1.46).

In the balcony scene, Romeo and Juliet recognize this selfish brand of love and then transcend it. The garden setting is more than just a secretive meeting place – it invokes images of a pastoral Eden, which symbolizes both purity and virginity. Romeo and Juliet's connection is simultaneously rooted in pure love and unbridled passion. At the beginning of the balcony scene, Romeo invades Juliet's privacy without her invitation, which becomes doubly apparent when he overhears her soliloquy. Here, Shakespeare breaks the convention of the soliloquy, which is traditionally a speech where a character shares his or her inner thoughts only with the audience. That Romeo overhears Juliet's soliloquy is an invasion, on one hand, but also serves as a reminder of the cost of intimacy. That Juliet both allows and cherishes Romeo's interruption reminds the audience that true love requires two people to open their hearts to one another.

Shakespeare underscores the idea that lovers must abandon their selfishness by having Romeo and Juliet swear to themselves, rather than to other bodies. For instance, when Romeo tries to swear by the moon, Juliet remarks that the moon waxes and wanes, and is too variable. Instead, she says, "Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self" (2.1.155). Shakespeare often has characters encourage one another to be true to themselves first, and only then can they be true to others. In the case of Romeo and Juliet, the characters must accept their unique identities (and transcend their family names) in order to experience the purest kind of love.

Shakespeare also implies that when people fall in love, they can grow. Juliet's behavior changes after she meets Romeo. She is used to obeying the Nurse's authority, and during the balcony scene, she disappears twice. However, she also defies authority twice in order to reappear and continue her conversation with Romeo. This is a sure sign of her emerging independence, which explains her quick decision to marry Romeo and defy her parents. Juliet also reveals her practical intelligence by understanding the need for a plan for them to meet and by insisting on marriage, which is a reversal of Elizabethan gender roles. Romeo, while less active than Juliet, also becomes more confident after their meeting, eschewing his juvenile melancholy for a more gregarious personality that impresses Mercutio.

Shakespeare introduces the theme of identity in Act 2. In her soliloquy, Juliet wishes that Romeo could transcend his name. Her famous declaration – "What's in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet" – expresses the idea that people can be more than their societal roles. Juliet understands that if she and Romeo are to be together, they must defy the limitations of society and follow their individual passions.

In this act, Shakespeare also introduces Friar Laurence a multifaceted character who understands the need for personal autonomy. Because of his underlying motivations, however, the Friar is an imperfect religious figure. He is willing to compromise the religious sanctity of marriage for the sake of a political goal. He clearly finds Romeo’s new passion suspect, but agrees to perform the marriage ceremony so that he can end the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. Friar Laurence's actions represent the dichotomy between societal convention and individual desire.

Finally, Shakespeare continues to explore the contrasts that he introduced in Act I, particularly the disparity between night and day (or darkness and light). Benvolio states, "Blind is his love, and best befits the dark," in reference to Romeo's newfound passion (2.1.32). When Romeo finally sees Juliet at her balcony, he wonders, "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. / Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon" (2.1.44-46). Romeo then invokes the darkness as a form of protection from harm: "I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes" (2.1.117). Unfortunately, the disorder of the day eventually overcomes the passionate and protective night - destroying both lovers in the process.

Shakespeare also underlines the contrast between youth and old age. Friar Laurence acts as Romeo's confidante, and the Nurse advises Juliet. However, both these adults offer advice that seems strangely out of place given the circumstances of the play. For instance, Friar Laurence says to Romeo, "Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast" (2.2.94). He also advises Romeo to "Therefore love moderately" (2.5.9). The Friar's advice for Romeo to love "moderately", however, comes too late. In fact, by the end of the play we even see Friar Laurence rejecting his own advice and stumbling to reach Juliet's grave before Romeo can find her. "How oft tonight have my old feet stumbled at graves?" (5.3.123).

Finally, Shakespeare introduces the contrast between silver and gold in this act through his use of imagery. Romeo says, "How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night" and "Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow, / That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops" (2.1.210, 149-50). Shakespeare often employs silver as a symbol of love and beauty. On the other hand, he uses gold as a sign of greed or desire. Rosaline is immune to showers of gold, an image that evokes the selfishness of bribery. Later, when Romeo is banished, he comments that banishment is a "golden axe," meaning that his punishment is merely a glossed- over equivalent of death. And finally, the erection of the golden statues at the end a sign of the fact that neither Capulet nor Montague has really learned anything from Romeo and Juliet's deaths.

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Romeo and Juliet Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Romeo and Juliet is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Can you find verbal irony in the play? Where?

One example of verbal irony would be Romeo's reference to the poison he has purchased as a "sweet medicine". A cordial is a sweet liquor or medicine.

Come, cordial and not poison, go with me To Juliet's grave; for there must I use thee.

What do we learn about Mercutio in queen man speech?

The whole speech is based on pagan Celtic mythology. Mercutio’s speech is laced with sexual innuendo. The words “queen” and “mab” refer to whores in Elizabethan England. As his speech goes on we notice the subtext get increasingly sexual...

What does Romeo fear as he approaches Capulet house? What literary device would this be an example of?

Romeo feels something bad is going to happen.

I fear too early, for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars

Looks like foreshadowing to me!

Study Guide for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

About Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet Summary
Romeo and Juliet Video
Character List

Essays for Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

Unity in Shakespeare's Tragedies
Fate in Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet: Under the Guise of Love
The Apothecary's Greater Significance in Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet: Two Worlds

Lesson Plan for Romeo and Juliet

About the Author
Study Objectives
Common Core Standards
Introduction to Romeo and Juliet
Relationship to Other Books
Bringing in Technology
Notes to the Teacher
Related Links
Romeo and Juliet Bibliography

E-Text of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet e-text contains the full text of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

List of Characters

Wikipedia Entries for Romeo and Juliet

Introduction
Date and text

The Daring English Teacher on Teachers Pay Teachers Secondary ELA resources Middle School ELA High School English

10 Activities for Teaching Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is one of those classic pieces of literature I think everyone has read. Even students who haven’t read the Shakespeare play have probably heard of the story or will relate to the plot as it has been retold in various films and literature. If you need some fresh ideas before you start this unit, read on.

Here are 10 activities for teaching Romeo and Juliet

1. relatable bell ringers.

If you’re going to focus on a Shakespeare play, you must go all in. Immersing students into a unit from start to finish is such a perfect way to help students understand a topic in-depth. Start off each class with these Shakespeare Bell Ringers . Each one includes a famous Shakespearean quote and a quick writing prompt. Students will explore various writing styles based on the quote.

2. Character Focus

Help your students identify and organize characters with these graphic organizers . This resource has two sets for almost every character in the play. Students will identify characters as round or flat, static or dynamic, and other basic qualities. This will also require them to provide textual evidence. The second organizer focuses on tracing emotions and motivations throughout the play. It’s a creative way for students to organize the play’s characters and is also a great resource for ESL students and struggling readers.

3. Get Interactive

I can remember interactive notebooks becoming all the rage. And while the paper notebooks are creative, a motivator for some students, and it’s generally pretty easy to put an interactive spin on old ideas already at hand. Having a digital version is just one more layer to add something unique to the interactive notebook. My digital notebook resource can work as its own unit and includes analysis activities covering characters, symbols, major events, writing tasks, and response questions. Digital notebooks are great for classrooms trying to limit paper use, use more technology, prepare students for tech demands, and for any classes that need to work with mobile options.

4. Engaging Writing Tasks

Help students understand and analyze the play by giving them unique writing assignments. Have students explore different writing styles, analyze universal themes, and study character development. My Writing Tasks resource does all this and more. Each act has its own unique writing assignment, and I’ve included brainstorming organizers for each. You’ll be able to use this with differentiated instruction, and there are several additional resources and organizers included.

5. Read “Cloze”ly

Prep passages for students to summarize to help them understand events from the play. This is an ideal activity for review, comprehension, or even assessment. Cloze reading is an ideal way to help students understand what is happening. Cut your prep time down by using this resource, with 6 passages ready to use AND written in modern-day English. Use as an individual assignment or collaborative activity.

6. Use Office Supplies

Increase student engagement with hands-on activities using sticky notes. You can use various colors to coordinate different aspects of study (literary elements, major events, character development, etc). It’s an easy and quick way for students to organize thoughts and notes, and the bits of information can be manipulated and moved around for different assignments. Students can gather relevant information for various essays, or can organize their sticky notes in a way that makes sense to them (by topic, or chronologically, as an example). Check out my Sticky Note Literary Analysis activity that includes 12 sticky note organizers.

7. Make Use of Bookmarks

There are many creative avenues when it comes to bookmarks. Have an activity where students pick a favorite quote, draw a scene, or draw what they know about the play prior to reading (they can use the back to draw after reading the play). Consider a foldable version like this one where you can jam-pack a variety of questions, vocabulary, literary analysis and more. These are foldable, interactive, fun, engaging – and it saves you time passing out one activity to be used throughout the play.

8. Plan an Escape

Escape rooms live up to the hype. Challenge your students with a fun and engaging review escape challenge. Have students work together in groups to complete collaboratively and spark authentic discussion. This escape room activity includes 40 timeline events to sort from the play correctly.

9. Don’t Forget Vocabulary

Vocabulary is an important aspect of understanding any work, but Shakespeare is on a whole other level. In addition to reading an older version of English in poetic form, students must grasp key vocabulary to understand the play more deeply. Engage your students with hands-on activities to learn vocabulary, whether that be through graphic organizers, visual dictionaries, or word puzzles. Check out my ready-to-print vocabulary packet that includes word lists, puzzles, organizers and quizzes for the entire play.

10. Practice Annotations

Start at the very beginning with an engaging activity for the prologue. This will allow students to explore the Shakespearean language and the set-up to the drama that is Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy. Using this resource , students will read and annotate the prologue, be introduced to Elizabethan English, and have context and background information before reading the play. Students then will rewrite the prologue in modern-day English following the same sonnet form. I love having students explore language, and this activity fits perfectly into the unit.

If you’re starting fresh with activities to fill a unit, or you’re looking to refresh your tried-and-true activities, check out my 5-week unit plan for Romeo and Juliet here . It’s full of goodies including a pacing guide, pre-reading activities, bookmarks, vocabulary, passages, writing tasks, essays, review activities, and more.

Put a new spin on the classic tragedy by refreshing your activities and finding new ways to present to students. Just a few simple updates and changes can keep students engaged and help them relate to the material. I love seeing what others do in their classrooms, so please share your favorite ideas in the comments below.

Is Teaching Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Still Revelant?

In an earlier blog post , I discuss if teaching Shakespeare is still relevant.

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The prologue of Romeo and Juliet calls the title characters “star-crossed lovers”—and the stars do seem to conspire against these young lovers.

Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet a Capulet. Their families are enmeshed in a feud, but the moment they meet—when Romeo and his friends attend a party at Juliet’s house in disguise—the two fall in love and quickly decide that they want to be married.

A friar secretly marries them, hoping to end the feud. Romeo and his companions almost immediately encounter Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, who challenges Romeo. When Romeo refuses to fight, Romeo’s friend Mercutio accepts the challenge and is killed. Romeo then kills Tybalt and is banished. He spends that night with Juliet and then leaves for Mantua.

Juliet’s father forces her into a marriage with Count Paris. To avoid this marriage, Juliet takes a potion, given her by the friar, that makes her appear dead. The friar will send Romeo word to be at her family tomb when she awakes. The plan goes awry, and Romeo learns instead that she is dead. In the tomb, Romeo kills himself. Juliet wakes, sees his body, and commits suicide. Their deaths appear finally to end the feud.

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🏆 Best Romeo and Juliet Essay Examples

📌 Interesting Romeo and Juliet Essay Topics

🎭 easy titles for romeo and juliet essays, 👍 exciting romeo and juliet title ideas, ❓ romeo and juliet essay questions.

Romeo and Juliet is probably the most famous tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is a story of two young lovers whose deaths reconcile their feuding families. Whether you are assigned an argumentative, persuasive, or analytical essay on this piece of literature, this article will answer all your questions. Below you’ll find Romeo and Juliet essay examples, thesis ideas, and paper topics.

“Romeo and Juliet”: character analysis
What role does the setting play in “Romeo and Juliet”?
“Romeo and Juliet” and antique tradition of tragic love stories
Theme of love in “Romeo and Juliet”
What role does the theme of fate play in “Romeo and Juliet”?
“Romeo and Juliet”: dramatic structure analysis
Analyze the balcony scene in “Romeo and Juliet”
“Romeo and Juliet”: feminist criticism
The most famous adaptations of “Romeo and Juliet”
“Romeo and Juliet” in the world culture

Keep reading to learn the key points you can use to write a successful paper.

Original Italian Tale vs. Shakespeare’s Tragedy

The story described in Shakespeare’s tragedy is based on the Italian tale that was translated into English in the sixteenth century. Original version represents situations and lines from Romeo and Juliet lives.

Shakespeare added a few more main characters: Mercutio, Paris, and Tybalt. Numerous researches state that Shakespeare used three sources to write his tragedy: a novella Giulietta e Romeo by Matteo Bandello, written in 1554; a story Il Novellio, by Masuccio Salernitano; and the Historia Novellamente Ritrovata di Due Nobili Amanti, written by Luigi Da Porto.

You can learn more about these novels to find out similarities and differences between primary sources and Shakespeare’s work

Love and Fate in Romeo and Juliet

If you’re going to write Romeo and Juliet essay on fate, read this paragraph. Fate is the fundamental concept of the plot. It makes us look at Romeo and Juliet affair as a single tragedy.

At the same time, another core element of the story is love. From the very beginning of the drama, you will clearly understand that the story will end in tragedy.

Shakespeare shows us the value of fate events.

However, love remains a crucial thematic element. The roles of Nurse, Paris, and Romeo show us a physical attraction, sympathy, and romantic affection while being the embodiment of love. Analyze what type of love is represented by each character in your essay. Explain, what do you think real love is.

Value and Duality in Romeo and Juliet

Among the central idea to consider for your Romeo and Juliet essay titles is an issue of value and duality. Shakespeare actively uses duality in his tragedy by representing the deaths of Romeo and Juliet as reasons of tragedy in Verona, which brought new order to the city.

Friar Laurence also reveals ambiguity when he helped Romeo and thus forced young lovers to suffer in the end. The decision to marry couple had a reason to end the conflict between Montague and Capulets.

Romeo and Juliet’s example discloses happiness and blame brought by key episodes and change in society. In your writing, you may analyze how the effect of adoration had influenced Romeo, Juliet, and other people lives.

Masculinity in Romeo and Juliet

A lot of Romeo and Juliet essay examples analyze the role of gender and masculinity in the tragedy. Mercutio is shown as a classic example of a real man: active, brave citizen.

He is a person of action. On the other hand, Romeo is described as a boy who seeks for love. Romeo and Juliet love thrown into quarreling world.

You can analyze the reasons why Romeo fights and kills Paris when finding him near Juliet body.

Covering all of the points mentioned above will help you to produce an outstanding Romeo and Juliet essay. Check the samples below to get inspiration and more ideas that you can use in your own paper.

🏆 Best Romeo and Juliet Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

Different Types of Love Portrayed in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Term Paper In regards to this communication, the issue of romantic love between Romeo and Juliet is highlighted7. The concept of true love is no where to be seen in Romeo and Juliet’s relationship.
William Shakespeare “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” This paper examines romantic love as the source of joy and fulfillment in “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Love is the source of pain and suffering in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
The Portrayal of Fate in “Romeo and Juliet” Thus, the play Romeo and Juliet demonstrates that fate is the invisible, unavoidable force behind the entirety of the human experience.
Symbolism and Foreshadowing in “Romeo and Juliet” The love of Juliet to Romeo at the early stages is described as the “bud love, expected to grow into a beauteous flower” when the two meet later.
The Renaissance Time During Romeo and Juliet Men and women performed different roles in the household; the man was responsible for farming while the woman took care of the poultry and dairy. In the upper-class, marriages were arranged and the parents chose […]
Analysis of the Play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Another interesting scene of the production that makes it real understanding of the authors work is the casting of the romantic love between Romeo and Juliet, the physical love of the nurse and the contractual […]
William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” in Baz Luhrmann’s Interpretation The fragility of love in this work is contrasted with its hardness – it can be compared in quality and beauty to a cut diamond.
Breaking the Rules: Romeo and Juliet’s Quest for Independence Finally, the death of Romeo and Juliet puts an end to their love and is powerful enough to reconcile their feuding families.
Romeo and Juliet’s Analysis and Comparison With the Film Romeo Must Die It can be concluded that, in the case of the original Romeo and Juliet, the main heroes are dying, but their families reconcile.
Franco Zeffirelli’s “Romeo and Juliet” Adaptation As the plot of the play develops and the reader gets more involved in the reading of the play, the constant need to read the stage directions has a disruptive effect on the reader’s interaction […]
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: Act 1 Scene 4 Review In this speech alone we see Mercutio in direct opposition to all of the characters in Romeo and Juliet while at the same time we are provided an alternate point of view to the ideals […]
“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare: Play’s Concept In Romeo and Juliet, the development of characters eventually led to the tragedy of the main characters. The love of Romeo and Juliet is a remarkable love as they have to undergo many obstacles to […]
Forbidden Love in Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare From Freud’s perspective, the characters’ problems can be perceived as the result of a conflict between their superego, id and ego.
Analysis of “Romeo and Juliet” Directed by Simon Godwin The actors played in the theater without an audience, and the shooting itself took two and a half weeks, but also due to the director’s attempt to combine the action on the theater stage and […]
Romeo and Juliet: Analysis of Play Being a tragedy, the story narrates the challenges two lovers, Romeo and Juliet, go through due to the enmity between their respective families. For example, the story of Juliet and Romeo presents a romantic and […]
Friar Lawrence in “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare The strengths of such friendships can be seen in the way Friar Laurence accepts and anticipates Romeo’s actions, showing that he is ready to hear him as a friend not as a priest, “Doth couch […]
“Analysis of Causes of Tragic Fate in Romeo and Juliet Based on Shakespeare’s View of Fate” by Jie Li The article is easy to read and makes a compelling case for the reasons that precipitated the tragedy in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
“Romeo and Juliet”: Play and Film Preminger et al.claim that poetry is to be educative and pleasurable and both versions of “Romeo and Juliet” meet this criterion regardless of the fact that they had to appeal to the audience of a […]
“Romeo and Juliet” and “The Winter’s Tale” Comparison Because of the importance of the role of plants and trees in the two abovementioned plays, it would be reasonable to consider each of the plays in detail.
Love and Sadness in the First Act of “Romeo and Juliet” The love story of Romeo and Juliet is well known to most people, but one might forget that Romeo was initially not in love with Juliet; he met her later.
Carlo Carlea’s Film “Romeo and Juliet” The new adaptation of my play generally made a controversial impression: the actors look suitable for their roles, but the internal theme of the play seems to be not so profoundly got.
“Romeo and Juliet” Staged in Greek Style According to the analysis, it is evident that even though the story, plot, and characters stay the same, the change in the style of “Romeo and Juliet” will have a significant difference from the original […]
Personality and Maturity in the Romeo and Juliet Play by W. Shakespeare While this idea is not always true in specific cases, it can be assumed to be true in the case of Romeo and Juliet because of the ways in which they act.
Oh Tae-Suk’s Romeo and Juliet Oh Tae-suk is a South-Korean playwright and director, well-known for his masterful portrayal of modern Korean life and the use of the elements of the traditional Korean theater in his plays.
What Shapes More Lovers’ “Story of Romeo and Juliet?” In Romeo and Juliet, love is the central theme of the tragedy, and the images of the protagonists are mostly shaped by the relationships and challenges they had to face.
Nurse and Friar Laurence in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” The way Friar Laurence supported Romeo and Juliet to get Married, The way the Nurse is opposing in her regards of Romeo and Paris, When Friar Laurence clandestinely married them, the way the Nurse is […]
Character Analysis of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” The Renaissance in Italy was a time in which historians and writers were most active, sparking a new wave of literacy in the Italian world, said to be the father of Renaissance Europe.
Romeo and Juliet: The Twentieth Century This is the first scene of the play. In the mean time, Capulet learns that Juliet has fallen in love with Romeo, and he is infuriated with the behavior of her daughter.
Relationships Among Individuals in Shakespeare’s Plays The events that take place in Athens are symbolic in the sense that they represent the sequence of events during the day whereas the events in the forest represent the dream like circumstances.
The Saga as Old as Time: Romeo and Juliet, Vampire Style Basing partially on the plot of Romeo and Juliet story and partially on the problems that modern teenagers face, The Twilight Saga offers a number of issues that are quite topical nowadays, such as the […]
The Interpretation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” by Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli
The Irresponsibility of Friar Laurence in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Key Elements of Aristotle’s Unity of Action Theory in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Love of Young Lovers in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Lack of a Real Loving Connection Between Juliet and Her Own Parents in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Language of Love and Death in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Life-Changing Decisions During the Teen Years in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
Central Themes of Violence and Conflict in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Origins of the Archetypal Themes Present in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Passionate Hatred of Tybalt and the Theme of Revenge in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Perceptions of Love and the Use of Language and Structure in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The True Meaning and Experience of Love in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Relationship Between Parents and Children Presented in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Theme of People Being in Unusual Circumstances in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Responsible for the Deaths of the Lovers in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Role of Fate and Coincidence in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Comparing the Characters of Tybalt and Mercutio in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Role and Representation of the Nurse in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Significance of Mercutio in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Tragic Ending of a Pair of Star Crossed Lovers in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Underlying Theme and Message in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Unselfish Character of Benvolio in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
True Love in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Use of Dramatic Irony and Other Literary Elements in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
Young Love and Human Nature in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Suicidal Instinct Depicted in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Various Types of Love in the Tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The World of True Love in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Young Lovers in the Play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
Timeless Appeal of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story”
Tragic Love in Movie Adaptations of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and “Othello”
Transformation of Juliet in Shakespeare’s Tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet”
The Use of Oppositions to Create Conflict in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
Two Against the Whole World: “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Use of Language to Convey Strong Emotion in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
Violence and Conflict in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Volatile Mixture of Love and Hate in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”
The Use of Verbal, Situational, and Dramatic Irony in William Shakespeare’s Play “Romeo and Juliet”
Shakespeare’s Reflections on Love in the Play “Romeo and Juliet”
The Importance of Act Three Scene One in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
The Use of Sonnets in “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare’s Use of Death to Create Tension in “Romeo and Juliet”
The Themes of Love and Madness in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and “Romeo and Juliet”
The Use of Imagery in the Play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
How Does Shakespeare Create a Sense of Tragedy in the Final Scene of “Romeo and Juliet”?
Are Romeo and Juliet Responsible for Their Deaths?
How Does Shakespeare Create Drama and Tension in “Romeo and Juliet”?
Why Does Shakespeare Create Sympathy for “Romeo and Juliet”?
Is “Romeo and Juliet” Relevant to Modern Life?
How Does Shakespeare Create a Dramatic Conclusion in Act Five Scene Three of “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Are Adults Presented in “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Are the Main Themes Presented in the Opening Sequence of Baz Luhrman’s Film “Romeo and Juliet”?
Does “Romeo and Juliet” Deserve to Be Considered Pop Culture in the Elizabethan Era?
Why Does “Romeo and Juliet” Attract Teenagers?
How Did Shakespeare Introduce the Characters of “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Does Act One Scene One Provide an Effective Opening to “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Did Hate Cause Major Events in “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Does Bas Luhrman’s Staging of Key Scenes “Romeo and Juliet”?
Did Baz Luhrmann Manage to Gain Sympathy for “Romeo and Juliet” and Interest a Modern Audience?
How Does Baz Lurhmann Make “Romeo and Juliet” More Accessible to a Modern Audience?
How Does Conflict Manifest Itself in “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Does Fate Affect “Romeo and Juliet”?
Why Did Fate Lead to the Tragic Conclusion of “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Does Lord Capulet Change Through the Course of the Play “Romeo and Juliet”?
Why Does Love Change Romeo and Juliet’s Life?
How Do Shakespeare Introduce Romeo and Juliet’s Relationship?
Did Romeo and Juliet Ever Have Control Over What Happened to Them or Was It All Fate?
How Does Shakespeare Make Romeo and Juliet Dramatically Effective?
How Do Juliet’s Decisions Affect Her Growth and Her Relationships in “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Does Shakespeare Portray Ambiguity in the Play “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Are the Relationships in “Romeo and Juliet” Represented and Developed?
Does the Film “Romeo and Juliet” Have the Same Dramatic Impact on the Audience as the Original Play?
How Does Shakespeare Portray Love in “Romeo and Juliet”?
How Does Shakespeare Present Conflict at the Start of “Romeo and Juliet”?
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ELA / 9th Grade / Unit 11: Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Students hone their literary analysis and writing skills as they read Shakespeare's iconic Romeo and Juliet in the original Early Modern English.

This unit has been archived. To view our updated curriculum, visit our 9th Grade English course.

Text and Materials

Composition Projects

Unit summary.

This end-of-year unit draws upon the literary analysis and writing skills that students have been honing over the course of the year and asks them to apply these skills to the complex language and style of Shakespeare. While students have previously read No Fear Shakespeare versions of other works by Shakespeare, this will be their first experience with reading in Shakespeare’s original, more archaic language. Additionally, the unit contains an emphasis on building the skills described in Common Core ELA standard RL.9.-10.9, "analyzing how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work." While reading Romeo and Juliet , students will analyze works by the fourteenth-century poet Petrarch, investigating how Shakespeare drew on some of Petrarch’s themes and characters and used them to develop his own play. They will also watch pieces of the 1996 film version of Romeo and Juliet , directed by Baz Luhrmann, and read excerpts of the novel Street Love , by Walter Dean Myers, analyzing how these two modern artists transform Shakespeare’s sixteenth-century play to inform their work. As part of their analysis, students will read, discuss, and write about the play itself and compare it to these other works.

When planning out the final days of the year, teachers should be sure to leave one or two class days for review for the final exam. That review is not included in the count of days for this unit.

At Match, students have a Composition class 4 days per week in addition to English class. Below, we have included Supplementary Composition Projects to reflect the material covered in our Composition course. For teachers who are interested in including these Composition Projects but do not have a separate Composition course, we have included a “Suggested Placement” to note where these projects would most logically fit into the English unit. While the Composition Projects may occasionally include content unrelated to English 9, most have both a skill and content connection to the work students are doing in their English 9 class.

In English 9 Unit 6, students will read Romeo and Juliet , by William Shakespeare. The major areas of focus in the English unit are: (1) decoding and comprehending Shakespeare’s archaic language and (2) comparing his original text to other works that have drawn on his original text. These supplemental Composition Projects will focus primarily on the latter, asking students to compare in writing how the newer works have drawn on and transformed Shakespeare’s original work. These writing focus areas mostly spiral from the earlier units, providing students with opportunities to apply their writing skills to new projects. The newer skill that students are asked to develop is to consider the structure of their essays and ensure that the structure lends itself well to the task and purpose.

Texts and Materials

Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click and make a purchase, we receive a small portion of the proceeds, which supports our non-profit mission.

Core Materials

Play: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (Folger Shakespeare Library 2011 edition)

Supporting Materials

Movie: Romeo and Juliet (Directed by Baz Luhrmann, 1996)

Excerpt: Street Love by Walter Dean Myers

Article: “Petrarch” (Poetry Foundation)

Poem: “If No Love Is, Oh God, What Fele I So” by Petrarch (Poetry Foundation)

This assessment accompanies Unit 11 and should be given on the suggested assessment day or after completing the unit.

Download Content Assessment

Download Content Assessment Answer Key

Intellectual Prep

Suggestions for how to prepare to teach this unit

Read and annotate the Folger edition of the play.
Acquire and watch the Luhrmann version of the film.
Read the novel Street Love , or at least the excerpts referenced in the unit plan.
Answer the key thematic questions based on the film and play
Take the end-of-unit exam.
Read this explanation of Romeo as a Petrarchan lover.

Essential Questions

The central thematic questions addressed in the unit or across units

Love: What is true love? What should one sacrifice for true love? What should one never sacrifice for love? Is the love between Romeo and Juliet true love?
Good and evil/love and hatred: Do we need hatred (evil) in order to truly appreciate love (good)?
Fate: Is there such a thing as fate? If so, can a person avoid his or her fate? Is fate alone responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, or should certain characters be held responsible?
The motifs of light and darkness run throughout the play. How do these motifs help to develop the themes of the play?

Writing Focus Areas

Specific skills to focus on when giving feedback on writing assignments

English Lessons Writing Focus Areas

Students will write an essay comparing two different works of literature, explaining how one draws upon and/or transforms the other. By this point in the year, students will have had experience crafting compare-and-contrast essays. However, this is the first time they will be explaining how one author draws upon another. For this reason, the following focus correction areas are recommended.

Literary Analysis Writing Focus Areas:

Introduction and Thesis: Introduction and thesis are clear, compelling, and preview what is to come.
Evidence: Evidence is well chosen to develop the topic/position.
Analysis: Analysis reflects logical reasoning and progression of ideas.

Composition Projects Writing Focus Areas

Students will write a mix of literary analysis and narrative pieces in this unit, applying the writing skills they have practiced throughout the year. In these projects, many of the WFAs are review and should come more easily to students at this point. The “coherence” focus area may be newer and require more instruction and feedback.

Thesis: Includes a clear and relevant thesis statement.
Analysis: Demonstrates clear and logical reasoning.
Evidence: Draws relevant evidence to support position.
Coherence: Structure is aligned with purpose.
Diction: Uses advanced and specific vocabulary.
Professionally Revised: Complete and follows guidelines. Adequate revisions.

Related Teacher Tools:

Grades 9-12 Composition Writing Rubric

Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text

Literary Terms

diction, structure, stage directions, theme, character motivation, motif, conflict, style, iambic pentameter, pun, Petrarchan lover, tone, mood

Prologue: foes (7) Act 1: valiant (9), partisan (13), pernicious (15), transgression (23), chastity (23), devout (33), heretic (33), obscured (39), tainted (47) Act 2: bewitched (65), discourse (69), entreat (71), impute (77), vile (85), rancor (89), affecting/affect (n.) (93) Act 3: apt (117), effeminate (123), calamity (139), banishment (141), perjury (149), vex (163), wretched (169) Act 4: haste (177), slander (179), treacherous (181), prostrate (187), stifle (193), solemnity (203) Act 5: unaccustomed (211), penury (213), distilled (221), beseech (223), ambiguities (237), enmity (243)

Idioms and Cultural References

bite my thumb (11), knaves (53), fool’s paradise (101), dirge (203)

Content Knowledge and Connections

Fishtank ELA units related to the content in this unit.

Students will learn to read Shakespeare in its original form.

Future Fishtank ELA Connections

Students will need a familiarity with Shakespearean language in order to access the critical 10th grade unit 10th Grade ELA - Macbeth (2021) .
Romeo and Juliet — Prologue (p. 7); Act 1, Scene 1 (pp. 9–15)
Romeo and Juliet — Prologue
Street Love — Prologue

Explain the function of the prologue in Romeo and Juliet .

Analyze the conflict in act 1, scene 1.

Romeo and Juliet — Act 1, Scene 1 (pp. 17–25)
“If No Love Is, Oh God, What Fele I So”
“Petrarch”

Analyze Shakespeare’s characterizations of Romeo and Benvolio.

Analyze how Shakespeare continues to develop the theme of fate in act 1, scene 2.

Analyze Shakespeare’s characterization of the three female characters introduced in act 1, scene 3.

Analyze Shakespeare’s characterization of Mercutio and describe his relationship with Romeo.

Analyze Shakespeare’s characterization of Romeo.

Explain in a well-crafted essay how Shakespeare and Luhrmann each create mood in act 1, scene 5.

Explain how the interactions between Romeo and Juliet develop the themes of the play.

Analyze how the interactions between Romeo and Friar Lawrence develop the conflict of the play.

Examine the differences between Romeo the lover and Romeo the friend.

Analyze how Shakespeare develops the theme of young love in act 2, scenes 5-6.

Identify instances of foreshadowing in act 2, scenes 5-6.

Analyze how the events of act 3, scene 1 further communicate the theme of fate.

Analyze the events of act 3, scene 2 and the impact they have on the plot development.

Compare Romeo’s and Juliet’s reactions to his banishment and analyze what these reactions reveal about character and theme.

Analyze the connections drawn between love and death in act 3, scene 5.

Analyze Juliet’s character development in act 3, scene 5.

Analyze Juliet’s actions and motivations for her actions in act 4, scenes 1–3.

Analyze how Shakespeare develops the theme of young love in act 4, scenes 1-3.

Explain how Myers draws on and transforms ideas from Romeo and Juliet to develop the themes, characters, and/or conflict of Street Love .

Analyze the individual characters’ reactions to Juliet’s death.

Identify how the tone shifts in act 4, scene 5.

Analyze how Shakespeare uses the plot to develop the theme of fate in act 5, scenes 1–2.

Analyze the degree to which fate shaped the deaths of the protagonists.

Develop an opinion about the significance of the final scene and its relationship to earlier scenes.

Discussion & Writing

Discuss and debate the essential thematic questions of the unit.

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The play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the film version directed by Baz Luhrman, and the novel Street Lov e by Walter Dean Myers each contain a prologue designed to preview what is to come. Compare the choices each author makes about how to structure the prologue and the effect of these choices on the audience. Support your answer with evidence from all three sources.

An effective essay:

includes a clear, relevant, and complete thesis statement;
demonstrates clear and logical reasoning;
draws relevant evidence to support position and provide context;
aligns the structure of the essay to the purpose;
uses advanced and specific vocabulary; and
is professionally revised.

W.9-10.1.a W.9-10.1.b W.9-10.2.a W.9-10.2.b W.9-10.4 W.9-10.5 W.9-10.6 W.9-10.9

(ON DEMAND)

Select one the following pairs of characters: Mercutio and Romeo or Juliet and Lady Capulet. Write a journal entry from one member of the pair (i.e. Mercutio) in which you reflect on your relationship with the other member of the pair (i.e. Romeo). Be sure to characterize your relationship and the ways in which you are similar and different. Include specific references to the text in your journal entry.

uses relevant evidence and details from the text, including establishing the setting;
accurately portrays the relationship between the characters;
is written in a tone and style that reflect the character; and
uses specific and relevant diction to develop the narrative.

L.9-10.6 W.9-10.3 W.9-10.4 W.9-10.6

In both Street Love and Romeo and Juliet , the authors tell the story of young lovers caught between the desire to be together and family and group loyalties that are pulling them apart. Describe how Walter Dean Myers, the author of Street Love , draws on and transforms elements of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the excerpt read today. Your answer may include references to setting, plot, characters, mood, themes, or author’s craft.

includes a thesis statement that previews what is to come;
supports the thesis with relevant evidence from both sources;

SL.9-10.1 W.9-10.2.a W.9-10.2.b W.9-10.4 W.9-10.6

Common Core Standards

Core standards.

The content standards covered in this unit

Language Standards

L.9-10.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9—10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

L.9-10.6 — Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Reading Standards for Informational Text

RI.9-10.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RI.9-10.2 — Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Reading Standards for Literature

RL.9-10.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.9-10.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.9-10.3 — Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

RL.9-10.9 — Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).

Speaking and Listening Standards

SL.9-10.1 — Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9—10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

SL.9-10.2 — Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.

Writing Standards

W.9-10.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

W.9-10.1.a — Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

W.9-10.1.b — Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns.

W.9-10.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

W.9-10.2.a — Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

W.9-10.2.b — Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.

W.9-10.3 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

W.9-10.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.9-10.5 — Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

W.9-10.6 — Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

W.9-10.8 — Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

W.9-10.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

W.9-10.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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Delaware County student with muscular dystrophy to perform in "Romeo and Juliet" in Media

By Madeleine Wright

June 4, 2024 / 5:42 PM EDT / CBS Philadelphia

MARPLE TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) – Wednesday is opening night for a student production of "Romeo and Juliet" at Delaware County Community College. The play features a diverse cast, including a student with muscular dystrophy.

Gillian Keener, 24, who was born with a rare form of the disease, uses a wheelchair and breathing tube. Keener has landed a major role in the play.

"I'm very excited," Keener said. She said students have been rehearsing since February. "I can't wait for my family to come see the show."

The show is William Shakespeare's classic tale about two young people from rival families who secretly fall in love. Keener plays Juliet's mother, Lady Capulet.

"She doesn't really know how to interact with her own daughter," Keener said about the character. "And I think sometimes that I can draw from my feelings of being disabled and sometimes not knowing how to interact with people because I think sometimes people are a little uncomfortable with interacting with me. So I think … it's a really great role for me."

Drama professor Stephen Smith cast Keener for this role because of her warm, nurturing personality. He said she was the first student to have all her lines memorized.

"She's extremely motivated," Smith said. "She's in Phi Beta Kappa, the honor society here at the college, and she won an academic achievement award. So she's a really impressive young lady."

Statistics show people with disabilities are underrepresented in the performing arts. According to a labor union called Actors' Equity Association, only 1.5% of contracts went to actors who self-identified as having a disability in 2021.

Approximately 26% of Americans have a disability, according to the Centers for Control and Prevention.

"I really wanted to be something for disabled people to feel like they have a place in theater," Keener said.

Keener is majoring in liberal arts and hopes to work as an advocate someday. She hopes to inspire other people with disabilities to pursue their thespian ambitions.

"Romeo and Juliet" will be presented from June 5 to June 8 on the front lawn of the Delaware County Community College, located at 901 South Media Line Road in Media. The show runs from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Keener will be performing on June 5 and June 8.

"She's double cast with another actor because of her disability, she can't do every performance, so they alternate nights," Smith said.

General admission tickets are $15 and student tickets are $10.

Delaware County

Madeleine Wright is a bilingual general assignment reporter for CBS News Philadelphia who is fluent in Spanish. She joined the team in January 2022 and was named the Delaware County reporter in July 2023.

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‘Romeo and Juliet’ Review: Plenty of Style, but Little Love

The London production, starring Tom Holland, sold out in hours. But its understated rendering of the central romance may leave some theatergoers wanting more.

A man in a black hoodie and a woman in a black jacket stand face-to-face, looking into each other’s eyes.

By Houman Barekat

The critic Houman Barekat saw the show in London

As the male lead entered the stage in a new production of “Romeo and Juliet” in London, a single, very loud whoop erupted from the orchestra level. Nobody else joined in — this is Britain, after all — but the breach of decorum was telling. This particular Romeo is the big-screen superstar Tom Holland, of “Spider-Man” fame, and his pulling power helped tickets for this show’s run sell out within hours — even though the actor playing Juliet wasn’t cast until many weeks later.

Yet this “Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Jamie Lloyd (“ Sunset Boulevard ,” “ The Effect ”) and running at the Duke of York’s Theater through Aug. 3, is no straightforward crowd-pleaser. The visuals are stripped-down and the staging unconventional; instead of indulging the giddy melodrama of young love, the emphasis is on brooding atmospherics. The show is slickly executed by a talented cast and production crew, but its understated rendering of the lovers’ romantic infatuation may leave some theatergoers wanting more.

The stage is dark, and entirely bare except for a sign that announces the setting in chunky capitals: VERONA. The performers, in monochrome streetwear, are illuminated by hazy spotlights. (Set design and costumes are by Soutra Gilmour.) In several scenes, they speak from fixed positions, stationed behind microphone stands, sometimes facing the audience rather than each other. The gloomy visuals are complemented by snatches of ambient techno and a dull humming sound that conjures a sense of anticipatory dread. To keep the audience on its toes, some scene changes are punctuated by blinding lights and obnoxiously loud flashbulb clacks. (The sound is by Ben and Max Ringham, the lighting by Jon Clark.)

The minimalist staging puts an extra onus on the actors to make the script shine, and they don’t disappoint. Holland gives a controlled performance as Romeo, evoking the halting, hopeful awkwardness of a love-struck teenager with understatement. As Juliet, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is similarly restrained: Tentative and inscrutable during the early phase of the courtship, she is at her best in the scenes in which she stands up to her father, Lord Capulet (Tomiwa Edun) as he pressures her to break it off with Romeo. In these moments, Amewudah-Rivers — who is making her West End debut — displays an impregnable abstractedness that rings true to the stubborn determination of adolescence.

The supporting cast is also less experienced than the illustrious leading man, but for the most part, you wouldn’t know it. Edun convinces as the hectoring, overbearing patriarch. Freema Agyeman plays the Nurse, the affable go-between who enables the lovers’ forbidden affair, with a fine blend of sassy assertiveness and quasi-maternal tenderness. Ray Sesay’s Tybalt is impressively menacing and Nima Taleghani, with his wide-eyed and gentle bearing, is tenderly protective as Romeo’s trusty friend, Benvolio.

At times the spectacle feels more like a reading than a play, but some nifty camerawork injects dynamism. A camera operator intermittently appears onstage and films close-up footage of an actor’s face, which is relayed in real time onto a screen above the stage. This technique — familiar from the work of directors such as Ivo van Hove and Christine Jatahy — can sometimes feel frustratingly gratuitous, leading to a sense of visual clutter, but it feels smooth here. During some scenes, actors are filmed elsewhere in the theater — in its foyer bar, corridors and balcony — while others occupy the stage. This gives a fitting sense of simultaneity in a narrative replete with back-channel dialogues and conspiratorial maneuverings.

Lloyd has tried to condense the story to its essence, just as he did in his Olivier-winning take on “Sunset Boulevard.” To this end, one or two scenes — such as the finale in which the Montagues and Capulets agree to set aside their differences after Romeo and Juliet’s deaths — have been abridged. The production’s artful subtlety is encapsulated in the tragic denouement, when the lovers’ deaths are conveyed simply by Holland and Amewudah-Rivers removing their mics.

The restrained portrayal of the lovers’ passion is aesthetically brave, but there’s a downside: In his determination to eschew the easy charms of melodrama, Lloyd slightly undercooks the romance, which in turn diminishes our investment in its terrible ramifications. There are other Shakespeare plays that lend themselves better to this kind of high-concept treatment, because they are more psychologically complex. ( A similarly stylized “Macbeth,” staring David Tennant, which ran at the Donmar Warehouse last year and will transfer to the West End in the fall, comes to mind.)

Leaving the theater, I encountered an excitable throng of mostly young fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Holland. His superstar status will attract a mainstream audience to this show. But what will they make of it? “Spider-Man” it most certainly ain’t.

Romeo and Juliet Through Aug. 3 at the Duke of York’s Theater in London; thedukeofyorks.com .

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The violent history of the Dutch colony that is now New York is not well known in the Netherlands. The curators of a new exhibition at the Amsterdam Museum want to change that.

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is a treasure trove of art and design. Here’s one besotted visitor’s plan for taking it all in .

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s co-artistic directors have put together a challenging debut season . But many visitors come to Stratford-upon-Avon seeking something more traditional.

The Venice Biennale, the art world’s most prestigious exhibition, opened recently to some fanfare, some criticism and a number of protests . Here’s a look at some of the standouts from the 2024 edition.

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A Summary and Analysis of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Romeo goes to see a churchman, Friar Laurence, who agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet. After the wedding, the feud between the two families becomes violent again: Tybalt kills Mercutio in a fight, and Romeo kills Tybalt in retaliation. The Prince banishes Romeo from Verona for his crime. Juliet is told by her father that she will marry Paris, so ...
Romeo and Juliet Study Guide
Full Title: Romeo and Juliet. When Written: Likely 1591-1595. Where Written: London, England. When Published: "Bad quarto" (incomplete manuscript) printed in 1597; Second, more complete quarto printed in 1599; First folio, with clarifications and corrections, printed in 1623. Literary Period: Renaissance.
PDF Romeo and Juliet Paragraph Writing Prompts
Romeo and Juliet Paragraph Writing Prompts Act V. Choose one of the following prompts and write a paragraph in response. Each entry must be a fully developed paragraph of 5-12 sentences including topic sentences and support. You do not need to hand in a rough copy, but your ideas should be clearly organized and easily understood.
Romeo and Juliet Essays
Romeo notes this distinction when he continues: Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief. That thou, her maid, art fair more fair than she (ll.4-6 ...
PDF Romeo and Juliet: William Shakespeare Revision Guide
Juliet eagerly awaits Romeo, but Nurse tells her of Tybalts death Act 3 Scene 3 Friar Lawrence tries to console Romeo and sort out a solution Act 3 Scene 4 Juliets father makes plan for Paris to marry Juliet Act 3 Scene 5 Romeo and Juliet spend the night together; Romeo leaves; Lady Capulet brings news of Juliets marriage to Paris Act 4 Scene 1
Romeo and Juliet Study Guide
Upload them to earn free Course Hero access! This study guide and infographic for William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Plot Summary
Romeo and Juliet exchange vows of love, and Romeo promises to call upon Juliet tomorrow so they can hastily be married. The next day, Romeo visits a kindly but philosophical friar, Friar Laurence, in his chambers. He begs Friar Laurence to marry him to his new love, Juliet. Friar Laurence urges Romeo to slow down and take his time when it comes ...
Free Romeo and Juliet Essay Examples & Topic Ideas
Good. 2 pages / 707 words. In Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare explores the tragic lives and deaths of the two "star-crossed lovers". Both Romeo and Juliet are unable to escape their dreadful destiny, even though the strength of their love. While fate plays a significant role in the tragic...
Love In Romeo And Juliet: [Essay Example], 618 words
At the heart of the play is the passionate and impulsive love between the two main characters, Romeo and Juliet. Their love is forbidden by their feuding families, the Montagues and Capulets, which only serves to intensify their feelings for each other. This forbidden love is a central theme in the play and drives much of the action and conflict.
Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Summary and Analysis
Analysis. Act 2 is more focused than Act 1, in that it mostly serves to establish the marriage which will become the root of the play's dramatic conflict. However, within the the streamlined plot, Shakespeare explores the complications of love. The theme of love is central to Act 2 of Romeo and Juliet.
10 Activities for Teaching Romeo and Juliet
Here are 10 activities for teaching Romeo and Juliet. 1. Relatable Bell Ringers. If you're going to focus on a Shakespeare play, you must go all in. Immersing students into a unit from start to finish is such a perfect way to help students understand a topic in-depth. Start off each class with these Shakespeare Bell Ringers.
Romeo and Juliet
Toggle Contents Act and scene list. Characters in the Play ; Entire Play The prologue of Romeo and Juliet calls the title characters "star-crossed lovers"—and the stars do seem to conspire against these young lovers.Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet a Capulet. Their families are enmeshed in a feud, but the moment they meet—when Romeo and his friends attend a party at Juliet's house in ...
Romeo and Juliet Character Analysis
Mercutio. Romeo 's best friend and kinsman to Prince Escalus. Mercutio is one of the play's most dynamic and complex characters. Wild, frenetic, easygoing, and fun-loving, Mercutio's manic energy, rambling stories, and razor-sharp wit masks… read analysis of Mercutio.
114 Romeo and Juliet Essay Titles & Examples
The decision to marry couple had a reason to end the conflict between Montague and Capulets. Romeo and Juliet's example discloses happiness and blame brought by key episodes and change in society. In your writing, you may analyze how the effect of adoration had influenced Romeo, Juliet, and other people lives.
E9
1.1 Assignment: Romeo and Juliet - Introduction INSTRUCTIONS: Complete the sections below after reading the Lesson Overview, Introduction, and Vocabulary sections in Canvas. When you respond to the Quick Write prompt, write in complete sentences and include details from the text as needed. Quick Write - Romeo and Juliet Anticipation Guide Determine if you agree or disagree with the following ...
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet — Act 3, Scene 2 (pp. 129-139) Analyze the events of act 3, scene 2 and the impact they have on the plot development. 14. Romeo and Juliet — Act 3, Scene 3 (pp. 139-153) Compare Romeo's and Juliet's reactions to his banishment and analyze what these reactions reveal about character and theme. 15.
Delaware County student with muscular dystrophy to perform in "Romeo
"Romeo and Juliet" will be presented from June 5 to June 8 on the front lawn of the Delaware County Community College, located at 901 South Media Line Road in Media. The show runs from 8 p.m. to 9 ...
'Romeo and Juliet' Review: Plenty of Style, but Little Love
Yet this "Romeo and Juliet," directed by Jamie Lloyd ("Sunset Boulevard," "The Effect") and running at the Duke of York's Theater through Aug. 3, is no straightforward crowd-pleaser ...

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10 Activities for Teaching Romeo and Juliet

Here are 10 activities for teaching Romeo and Juliet

2. Character Focus

3. Get Interactive

4. Engaging Writing Tasks

5. Read “Cloze”ly

6. Use Office Supplies

7. Make Use of Bookmarks

8. Plan an Escape

9. Don’t Forget Vocabulary

10. Practice Annotations

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Delaware County student with muscular dystrophy to perform in "Romeo and Juliet" in Media

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